Easthampton High School - Echo Yearbook (Easthampton, MA)

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In the barn, where no occupants except professional bums had leisurely spent their everlasting days, was now assembled a group of the happy-go- lucky fellows. A roaring fire slowly wore itself out as one of the patched mem- bers started to unfold a dog story. A fewof the sleepy fellows laughed in mirth as they turned over to seek a more comfortable position in the drift of hay piled in the corner. I met Pal exactly three years ago next Friday, and I'll never forget that day. I was comin' through a gate of a neat little house in Jacksonville where the kind old lady that lived there always had somethin' for me. I seen her go out the house about fifteen minutes ago, so I had no fear of her broom or mop she usually brushed me coat wid. Sometimes she had a chunk o' coal or bone to fling at me and so I never went there unless I knew beforehand. Wal, I walks up to the door an' a sweet little housewife comes out, almost knocking me eyes out. O' course I mean her appearance almost did my eyesight a turnover. She was the best looking little wife I ever seen in me life. I swallows the atmosphere a couple of minutes afore I finally clicks and asks her if'n she had somethin' to eat for a pore old man out 0' work. The fellows roared here, for Sam, the speaker, had been offered work about two places out of three everywhere he went. Sam waited until the jokers calmed down, then, letting a stream of tobacco juice flash through the air into a corner, he continued in a dignified manner. As I was sayin' afore you guys interrupted, I was askin' fer eats. The little birdie chirped, 'I think I can find something for you if you go into the barn and chop some wood for me'. I suppose Sam just couldn't refuse the chance to chop wood fer a birdie, squawked another one of the hoboes. Well, I consents, says Sam, and I goes into the barn and wears the axe handle down a bit, and then I returns to the house. I walks up the steps, opens the door, and halts. Behold, there stood me pal, the old lady. feeding a box full o' pups. I throws myself in reverse and backs toward the door, but no use, she spied me wid her glassy eyes. Her artillery comes into view from behind her, a pinkish blue saucer ready for Hight. Somethin' stopped ner and she said, 'How many times have I told you to stay away from here, you loaferl' At first, I thought it was a squeaky door swinging, but it was her voice. I finally picks up courage an' starts to tell a story. Meanwhile, me hand had turned the door-knob and opened the door a bit. She sees me actions and stops meg then she picks me out a pup and asks me if I needed one to keep me company on me journeys. Me being scairt to death, I say, Sure , She gives him to me wid a sigh of relief, and the birdie comes in wid a hunk 0' pie to boot. I wanted to give the pup away after I left the house, but no use, no one wanted an ugly duckling, so I held onto him. Finally I decided to drown him but when I ties up the bag with him and a rock fer a companion in it, I hears him whine kinda soft-like and me heart ain't no heart no more, so I can't proceed further. i Fifteen

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In the central hall-an apartment sixty feet wide, seventy feet long, and sixty feet high-we looked speechless at the statue-the collosal figure of Abraham Lincoln, seated in a curule chair facing the entrance, his eyes looking out through the columns to the Monument and Capitol. This statue was carved from crystal- line Georgia marble by Daniel Chester French. In the features, we could all depict those Qualities of the man which most have endeared him to us, in the serene gaze, we were conscious of his power and confident of his strength to per- form whatever task might have been laid before him. lVe observed that the shrine is divided into three sections, the central hall .fm each side of which a row of Ionic columns fifty feet high screens the north and south halls. In the south hall, a few of us paused to read the Gettysburg Address inscribed there. On the wall above, in the center, we discerned symbolical paint- ings of Freedom and Liberty-a group in which a figure is holding the sword of Justice and on her lap is resting the scroll of the Law, supporting her on each side are guardians of the Law holding the torches of Intelligence. On the left, at her feet, are two sibyls interpreting the Law and a group on the right symbolizes Im- mortality. The central figure is receiving the laurel crown and about her are Faith, Hope, and Charity. The vessels are of wine and oil-symbols of life ever- lasting. In the north hall, lettered inthe stone of the wall, is the Second In- augural Address. The paintings represent Unity, Fraternity, and Charity. Unity is -symbolized by the Angel of Truth holding the hands of the North and the South. Fraternity embraces within her outstretched arms the Father, the Mother, and the Child-typifying the Family. Charity gives the water of life to the blind and cares for the orphans. The inner ceiling of the entire building is supported on a framework of bronze beams decorated with intertwined laurel leaves. As we recall our visits to the Memorial, we feel that not only is the material form a temple, but also its atmosphere is that of a sanctuary. Considering the stately column, and painted symbolism, it is beyond a question that architect, sculptor, and artist have contributed their best to give it this character. The monumental inscriptions on the walls are also most impressive as they seem to bring us closer to the real Lincoln and to Lincoln's day. lVhether one visits this shrine in the afternoon and sees its splendor in the sunshine, or beholds it like a gigantic apparition looming up in the darkness Cas we were fortunate in doingj, it matters not because the sight will always cling to the memory. IIPALII It was a wet, dreary night with pools of water everywhere except where the person didn't wish to walk. Smoke lazily warmed its way out of a barn window and was immediately beaten down by a thousand spheres of water. The rain stopped and started as if deciding whether to stay or go, and, between times, when water drizzled upon the lone barn, the moon ventured out for an instant, glanced upon the earth, then disgustedly dived behind a cloud. Fourteen

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f'The first year he was a pest, and got me in trouble all over the state. We was coming Cherry Street in Somerset when the hound, being hungry, goes be- hind a butcher store an he comes a runnin' back wid a string o' furters . At this statement the sleepy hobo's eyes gleamed in a flash, then died out as if each knew what the other was thinking about. I I grabs the hound an' I manages to save a few of the furters before his stomach deposited them all . I stuffs the hot dogs in me pocket, and I thought I was in fer a good feed. But no such luck, the hound comes a running down the street anchored back by about three yards o' hot dogs. The butcher was doin' his best to ketch up wid him and he was callin' him some sweet names that made me ears burn. The hound o' course comes toward me, and I makes for distant lands. I scaled a fence and ran around a block just in time to see butcher havin' a tug-0' war with me hound. The hound is hungry so he doesn't think of leavin' the furters but finally a couple of cops persuades him to do so after they bagged him in their coats. I hears the butcher telling the cops of a hobo who scaled the fence and left the hound to fight it out wid him, so I vacates. I'm thinking of me poor hound who will get first degree murder fer his act when a couple o' plain clothes men bump into me on the corner and I finds my- self in jail. It happed so fast that my head spun. The chief finally got around after askin' about a hundred questions, to tell me what I'm in for. I'm told that if I don't tell the truth I'm goin' serve in the state jail for a mighty long period. They grilled me till I was sweatin' bullets and wishin for a gun and I'm told that I stole jewelry out o' two houses last night, and this morning I was supposed to have beaten up a woman an' took her pocketbook. The woman I was supposed to have beaten up is in de hospital wid a fractured skull. When she fell she hit her haid on the curb and dented it, her haid, not the curb. The cops fished me and found the string ol furters and I receives another charge of stealing hot dogs. I ain't got any hopes for freedom, and I see that I'm in so tight that if the old lady dies in the hospital I'll get me neck stretched for sure. Sure enough, she kicked the bucket tdiedb and they informed me im- mediately in words and action. They shifted me to a special cell and placed a guard at me cell at all times. 'No hopes,' I says to myself, and I sits up thinkin', worryin', dreamin', prayin' for something to happen, and so I passed that night. I was all stiff in the morning from the oak cushion I sat on. It was oak all right. but they forgot the cushion end of it. When me trial came up and I was placed before his honer, an' old bald- headed gent, I sweated nickels. When ever I tried to say somethin', I needed proof and I couldn't supply it. I could of murdered the district attorney but I had nothing to do it with. The trial was about finished, and I was ready for the rope when me hound busts into de room, a cop with a red face chasin' him. I ketches the dog in me arms and I was ready to iight for him when suddenly an idea clicks in me haid and I lets out a whoop that scares the judge. I demands speech and'I gets it. Then I blurts out me whole story about de hound and de hot dogs. I asks the judge to bring me the furters that were taken off me and to Sixteen